Through the Trauma
by Merlose
Summary: Follows the "Escape" ending of Silent Hill 4. Henry and Eileen are both trying to get on with their lives, but cannot forget the horrific experience they went through together.


Disclaimer: I don't own Silent Hill. If I did I would have made sure as hell that Henry got an alternative outfit as well (bunny suit!).

* * *

**Chapter One**

Henry was descending the stairs once again, the echoes of his footsteps resounding in a rhythmic pattern of shoe meeting metal. He peered down over the edge of the stairs, but there was still no end in sight, only darkness and a stench of decay. Henry kept walking, willing himself to only look forward and not at the latest disturbing scene to the side of the staircase. However, some small spark of curiosity won out over common sense and he glanced at a room to his right. It looked like there was a large animal or some other type of being restrained under a bloody and soiled leather sheet. Whatever it was seemed to be desperately trying to fight its way out, but Henry decided not to stick around and watch whether or not the thing was making any progress.

Henry continued on until his path down the stairs was finally obstructed by a wall. But, there was no door in the center of the wall; instead there was only the ever familiar hole. Henry examined the red pattern around the hole and took a deep breath, not sure if this action was an unconscious show of relief or fear. He already knew where the portal would lead, but still was aware of some semblance of anxiety as he began making his way into it. The fabric of his pants scraped against the rough inner surface of the hole as he began to climb into it. Within an instant he felt himself falling through the portal, faster and faster. And then, suddenly, he was laying on a bed, but not his bed. The blankets under his hands felt different than his own bedding, somehow more worn and rough. He groggily sat up and took in the unfamiliar surroundings. The room smelled of a dank combination of moth balls and disinfectant and there were several small posters around the room contained in cheap, gold plastic frames.

He glanced to his right and noticed a suitcase on the dresser; his suitcase. Then it came back to him, this was his hotel room, the one he had begun renting almost two and a half weeks ago. The one he had moved into after telling superintendent Sunderland that there was no way in hell (which had no longer become a relative term for Henry) that he was ever stepping back into room 302. Sunderland didn't seem at all surprised when Henry told him this. He only shook his head and replied that he would move Henry's things into storage. Henry had thought there was an apologetic tone to Sunderland's words, but was honestly too worn down to consider the possible implications for more than a couple of seconds.

He had visited Eileen in the hospital the next day. She looked good, much better than he would ever have imagined. The bruises were gone and so was her cast and eye patch. The only visible evidence that she had been attacked was a light outline of the numbers 20121 stretched across her back.

Eileen had been forced to stay in the hospital for five more days after initially being admitted so the doctors could run various tests. None of them could figure out how she went from being critically injured one day to fully healthy the next. At first Eileen had taken the situation like a sport, allowing the doctors and nurses to poke and prod at her without complaint. But, by the fifth day, the last day Henry had seen her, she was constantly arguing with the medical staff and insisting that she be released. Henry saw Eileen's recovery as simply a physical manifestation of Walter's defeat. He knew he could continue to analyze the situation and the reasons for Eileen's miraculous recovery, but felt that he had been through enough of a Walter-related mind fuck already to even want to consider the circumstances.

Mrs. Galvin, Eileen's mother, had loudly and tearfully claimed that her daughter's survival was simply a miracle; a blessing from God. Henry couldn't help but smile after hearing this, quite sure that at least part of the statement was true. Both Mr. and Mrs. Galvin were constantly at Eileen's side while she stayed in the hospital, which seemed to provide comfort for both them and Eileen, but gave no chance for Henry or Eileen to branch beyond the limits of mundane talk into discussing the living nightmare that they had both just escaped from.

Henry missed talking with Eileen in the hospital, but he had to admit that most of all he missed having her company as he proceeded down the spiral staircase which had now made its way into his dreams. Looking back on their situation, Eileen was the one thing in Walter's messed up world that had kept him sane. She had been the one person to consistently keep him company and help him fight through those twisted dimensions. But, most of all, the knowledge that he was the only one who could save her from a fate worse than death was what kept him going and fighting through those dimensions. Even when he began to feel like death might be a better option than facing whatever abomination was waiting around the bend it was the thought of saving Eileen that helped keep him going.

Henry glanced at the nightstand next to his bed and grabbed the T.V. remote off of it. The labels on top of the buttons were grungy and worn away, but he easily discerned the large, red button near the top and turned on the television. Some cartoon featuring Bugs Bunny that looked vaguely familiar to Henry instantly began to come into focus on the television screen. Henry had always thought of himself as a bit of an intellectual. He enjoyed reading and the arts, heck he was even a photographer by trade, but recently his favorite form of entertainment had become children's cartoons. He liked just watching them, zoning out, and only having to consider thoughts which bordered on comically disturbing. Like whether or not Scooby and his gang had ever considered using the Mystery Machine for anything more "recreational" than crime solving.

After several minutes of staring at the television and in the middle of the Looney Tunes theme song the phone in Henry's room began ringing. Henry stared at it for a few seconds, unsure of whether or not to pick it up. What if there was someone on the other end of the line with who he'd rather not speak or worse, something…else. Henry shook his head to clear his thoughts.

'That's over now. Let it go,' he thought to himself before picking up the phone.

"Hello."

"I was starting to wonder if you were ever going to pick up," the voice on the other end of the line responded.

Henry smiled.

"Eileen, how are you doing?"

"Well, better now that I'm finally away from both the doctors and my parents. Don't get me wrong, I love my mom and dad but the last few days I swear they didn't even want me to venture into the bathroom by myself."

Eileen laughed.

Henry couldn't help but notice how strained her laugh sounded.

"So where are you now? Don't tell me you've gone back to-" Henry replied but was cut-off.

"Are you joking? Of course not! My parents stuck me in a quaint, little apartment building called Oakcrest. You know, the one with the gated parking lots, security cameras everywhere, and security guards patrolling the complex twenty-four hours a day."

Eileen paused.

"I'm staying here to humor them. They just don't understand…"

"Yeah, well maybe it's better they don't," Henry said softly.

Eileen didn't reply, but exhaled slowly. Neither she nor Henry spoke for several seconds.

"Henry, I was wondering if you would come see me in my new place."

"Uh, sure. I just need some directions on how to get there. When did you want me to come by?"

"Tonight," Eileen quickly replied.

"I mean, if you can, I would like to see you tonight."

Henry glanced at the wristwatch he had left sitting on his night table. It was already a quarter past ten at night.

"Sure, just tell me how to get there."

* * *

Henry felt through his pockets once again trying to find his wallet. It had taken him nearly twenty minutes with a couple of wrong turns included to find the Oakcrest apartments. And now, after finally reaching his destination, it looked like he wasn't going to get past the front gate. 

"I'm sorry sir, but if you don't provide any kind of identification I cannot allow you entrance," a balding security guard told Henry from his booth window.

Although the guard's words were polite, he added an edge to the words at the end of the sentence and peered into the passenger and back seats of Henry's car as though he were looking for something suspicious.

Henry put his car in park.

"Uh, can't you call her up? I must have left my wallet in my hotel room."

The guard eyed Henry warily.

"Please, I think it may be important to her that I see her tonight," Henry pleaded.

The guard looked Henry over for a second time before grunting, finally turning towards the phone in his booth, and picking up the receiver. He dialed a number quickly while glancing at Henry through the booth window. Henry immediately noticed the man's tone change as he began speaking into the phone. Even the corners of the guard's mouth seemed to curve up a bit as he began.

"Hello Miss Galvin, this is Ron Lawson, one of the security professionals here at Oakcrest. There is a man out front here who is claiming to be the visitor you authorized for entrance earlier tonight."

Henry heard a muffled response from the other end of the phone.

"Yes, well I would like to let him through, but he has no identification. You see, it's procedure here that all guests provide identification before being allowed entrance into Oakcrest."

This was countered by another muffled response. Henry noticed the corner's of the guard's mouth beginning to fall.

"Miss Galvin, I wish I could, but-"

A louder muffled response was heard over the receiver.

"Now, Miss Galvin, I would recommend against that. If you just-"

"-click-"

Henry could now clearly hear the sound of a dial tone coming from the phone the guard was holding. The guard himself had contorted his eyebrows together and was staring at the phone with his mouth agape. He quickly looked towards the apartment building and then back at Henry, seemingly unsure of where to focus his attention. After a period of several seconds the guard finally snapped out of his stupor.

"Uh, Miss Galvin said that she would meet you, uh, out here…at the gate."

Henry wasn't sure how to respond. He looked up at the guard and uttered "Oh, okay" before turning his attention to the apartment building. Seconds later he could make out a figure walking in his direction. Henry immediately recognized the figure as Eileen.

About a minute later she had made her way up to the guard booth. She stayed on the other side of the gate, but peered around Henry's windshield and into his driver's side window. Henry gave her a little wave.

"Yep, that's Henry. Could you please let him through now?" she asked the man in the booth.

"Um, mam, you understand that this isn't normal procedure?"

"Mmm, right. Sorry about this," was all Eileen replied with. She then looked at the guard and raised her eyebrows and then looked back towards the gate.

The guard took one last look at Henry before lifting the gate. Henry pulled through and then stopped as Eileen walked around to the passenger side of his car and got in.

She gave a little wave in the guard's direction and then smiled at Henry.

"I'll show you where to park."

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Next Chapter: I haven't really decided yet, but I'm thinking smut because there just ain't enough lovin' going on in the Silent Hill series. 

Author's notes: I'm not really sure what possessed me to write this fic other than a desire to think that Eileen and Henry got together after the "Escape" ending. I think that surviving through traumatic situations truly can create an incredible bond between people. I really hated that the only interaction between them at the conclusion of the game was only a couple of quick lines exchanged, so I came up with my own account of what may have happened. Plus, I think they would have cute kids together.


End file.
